Broadband communications systems, such as satellite, cable television, and direct subscriber line (DSL) systems, are now capable of providing many services in addition to broadcast video. Additional services include video-on-demand (VOD), personal video recording (PVR), high definition television, online gaming, telelearning, video conferencing, voice services, and high speed data services. In order to economize the available bandwidth in a system, a switched digital video (SDV) system may be utilized that includes devices and methods that deliver selected services only when users actively request the services. In this manner, services that are rarely viewed or only viewed by a few subscribers are only broadcasted upon request, thereby allowing bandwidth to be available for more frequently watched services.
Accordingly, the increase in the number of offered services, including SDV services, has increased the traffic in the reverse channel, which can be any data link such as DAVIC, DOCSIS, DSL, or Ethernet, to name some different channels, when each individual subscriber requests a service. The increase in reverse channel traffic is a concern for system operators since it can result in dropped packets, system instability, and impaired quality of service for the subscribers. Thus, there exists a need for minimizing reverse channel traffic when possible in order to maintain a stable communication system.